Even The Darkest Creatures Can Care
by Insanitys-lover
Summary: AU: What if instead of Dudley and the Durley's going to the zoo for his birthday, they went camping. What if that camping lodge turned out to be the next place an unknown dark creature went for it's next meal. What do you think happens to Harry Potter if he meets that creature after it kills everyone at the lodge? Why don't you read on and find out.
1. The Day The Darkness Found It's Child

AN 3/17/2017: Edited in new lines and fixed hopefully all grammar mistakes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor any of it's works. Everything in this goes to the respected owners.

* * *

Harry knew nothing today was going to end well for him. He just knew it. It all started earlier that week. Dudley had wanted to go on a trip for his birthday. He said he didn't want to go to any lame zoo but that he wanted to go camping. The rest of the Dursley family, his uncle Vernon was more pleased to go then his aunt Petunia, she hated the idea of all that dirt. Although for her darling Dudley she would be happy to go camping with her lovely soon to be 11 year old son. Harry knew they wouldn't be able to find someone to take him as Miss Figg had a broken leg so she couldn't take care of him.

He had seen the looks the Durley's shot him as he was forced to make breakfast for them yet again. Since the moment he was tall enough to see over the counter he was made to take on work no normal child would have ever been forced to do. Of course though he was no normal kid, oh no the Durley's made sure to let him know that. Until he went to primary school at five, he hadn't even known his name wasn't freak but it was in fact Harry Potter. He knew the Durley's hated him. How could he not notice the hate that was always thrown at him for as long as he could remember. He hated it, he wished he could fight back but.. The beatings and fear they instilled into him saw that he did nothing. Harry was still just a boy, hardly ten and he longed for real love and care. He'd seen how all the other parents treated their kids, he saw how much love and care Dudley got. Harry got nothing, he was almost violently hated and Dudley did so enjoy his harry hunting.

Harry was smart enough to know he could leave and try to run away but he knew as well it wouldn't work, he is too scared to leave. All the adults around him treated him either with ignorance or dislike because they believed his aunt Petunia over him. She spread rumors about him being a delinquent as often as she could when she couldn't say the word freak. He did nothing to show he was those things but apparently her word was worth more then enough for the neighborhood to believe.

Harry shook his head as his thoughts wandered away from how he got into this situation in the first place. His parents died, supposedly killed when they'd been stupid enough to drive drunk. Harry wasn't sure how much he could believe that but it wasn't as though he had anything else to believe. He was left as a baby in the Durley's care. No one else wanted him.

The Durley's were packed up and seeing as they had no one to pass Harry off to they had no choice but to take him with them. Vernon found a wonderful camp site with lovely wooden cabins and rented one for them (and a small tent for Harry) before they got into Vernon's car and drove out to the large forested camp site near Little Whinging. It was beautiful to Harry. He had never seen such large trees before in his life. He was even willing to say the sight of the breathtaking trees and colorful plants was worth siting next to Dudley and getting hit and bullied by him the whole trip. The forest was different from anything he had ever seen, the little park Dudley chased him to and from didn't compare to this place, and it calmed him down from the nervousness he felt coming on this trip. He was always nervous and frightened with his 'family' around but the forest helped to lessen that for him. It brought him a sense of calm and.. Something else he couldn't quite explain.

Harry carried some of their luggage with Vernon into their nice log cabin and set it all down. Harry was then pushed out of the cabin before he could even look around by his uncle Vernon. "Your tent is out there boy. You'll have to make it yourself." Harry nodded and Vernon smiled before he turned and called out to Dudley and Petunia. "Dudley come on my boy! It's late, let's have some dinner with your beautiful mother at the dinning hall down by the lake!" Harry listened only for a moment more before they went to go down and get food. Harry knew he'd be getting none of it since his aunt Petunia had already given him his lunch earlier. They fed him some what well, nothing as good as Dudley's but food is food as Harry has had to learn from a young age.

Harry wished things weren't like this. He hated this, he hated how he was their slave in everything. He hated that he couldn't leave and find a safe place, a home. Why was he here? His parents couldn't have been that bad right? With what the Durley's told him the answer was that they didn't care, dead or alive he was stuck here with the Durley's even if he didn't want to be. If this was how his family treated him how would the rest of the world treat him? He wondered that so often and he just wished he could be safe and.. and loved. Was that really too much to ask for?

"Why is my life like this.. I'm hit and hurt and no one cares." Harry mumbled to himself not noticing anyone was listening as he opened the box with the tent inside it. "Why are the Durley's allowed to get away with hurting me? How is any of that fair. I'm only ten and I've been treated like I am their slave. A worthless freakish slave." Harry knelt on the ground staring at the box and the pieces of tent. Harry never noticed the man in a black suit watching him from the treeline of the forest or how his head violently twitched while he listened to Harry.

Harry never noticed at all while he sat staring at the box as he wondered why his life had to be this way until he shook his head, trying and failing to shake the thoughts away. He looked around the camp site, watching the other people around, watching the families play together before they all went to the dinning hall for dinner. He wished he had a real family. He began moving again and Harry took out the parts of the tent and found the booklet on how to put them together. At least this was in English so he could put it together easily enough. It took Harry a good hour to put his tent together and he smiled. At least he had his own little space for now, it is better then his cupboard even if he had to sleep outside. By the time Harry had finished his tent it was dusk and quickly nearing night.

He froze up though when he then heard a loud scream. Harry looked over at the dinning hall. That scream sounded bad, very bad. Harry was frozen in fear as even more screaming started as he remained kneeling down on the ground. The screams were awful and Harry felt dread worse then anything he has ever felt before. Seeing how Vernon threatened to beat him daily and often did. Harry was used to dread and fear but this is worse then anything he has ever felt. All thoughts of how horrible his life were forgotten as one by one the screams began to stop.

Harry forced himself to get up and stand as he bit his lip. He looked around trying to see if there were any adults around but he saw none. Harry wanted to run away but he couldn't, if something bad was happening then running off into the woods was stupid cause whatever was there could easily follow him there. Harry decided to check and see if everyone was ok. Maybe Dudley just pulled some kind of bad prank and managed to get everyone screaming as a joke. Harry hadn't heard any laughter though, not even Dudley's, and while Harry was a good bit away from the Dinning Hall he would have heard any laughter for sure. He didn't hear it though, he heard the screams and now everything was deathly silent. All the sounds in the forest were gone and he couldn't hear anything but a light wind rushing through the trees. Harry was filled with dread and fear but he had to move and make sure it was all just a joke even though he was painfully reminded of those horror movies Dudley forced Harry to watch.

Harry breathed though the lump in his throat and he stepped around the tent box before he started to walk cautiously towards the dining hall. He looked only forward on the little path before one by one lights began to pop. Harry looked around in fear trying to understand what was happening before he began to run to the dinning hall as he caught sight of some kind of shadow. It didn't look friendly and Harry knew he needed to stay in the light. He managed to get to the dinning hall before all the lights popped and left Harry in the pitch black darkness. Harry didn't see the shadowy creature in the darkness again but if he had he would have seen that disappointed look as Harry quickly went inside the dinning hall.

As Harry got inside the first thing he noticed the awful metallic smell. Harry almost gagged from how strong the smell was but he frowned at the wet sound his steps made. It was dark in the dinning hall as the lights were dim or broken. It was almost worse than outside but at least there was some light. Harry's frown deepened as he reached down to feel what was on the floor. He brought his now wet hand to one of the lights that was still sort of working. Harry inhaled sharply and stared at the sight of red blood on his hand before he had the realization of just what he was walking on.

Blood, and a lot of it. Harry tried to keep calm as he looked around. He knew he was seeing blood in the darkness but the blood had to come from somewhere right? Harry wondered why he even wanted to know. Harry finally broke out of his frozen state and managed to walk further into the dining hall and to where the tables were. All the lights in the dining room were working, if a bit shakily, and that only made the sight of the room all that much worse.

All the blood Harry had known was on the floor, was all over the walls too. Blood was dripping down the walls as if they had been splashed across them but there were still no bodies to be seen.

Why was there so much blood but no bodies. There had to be bodies. Harry jumped as he suddenly heard a whimper. He turned around and saw his uncle Vernon on the floor a few feet away. Whimpering and sobbing in what was clearly agony, seeing as he only had one arm. A tall, very tall, man stood in front of Vernon and his pure white hands had blood dripping down them. The man's hands reached to his knees and he seemed to be dressed in a black suit. Harry knew for a fact the man hadn't been there a second ago, he blinked and then he had been in front of Vernon with the tall man's back to Harry. The man looked bald, he had no hair but his head was just as white as his hands and Harry couldn't see his face as he seemed to be staring down at his uncle. He looked as white as a piece of chalk but Harry knew that wasn't possible, no one had skin that white except in cartoons.

The chalk white man reached down and grabbed Vernon by his fat neck lifting him up effortlessly while Vernon sobbed louder begging not to be killed. Vernon never had a chance as the tall man lifted him to his head and... bit down. Harry heard a sickening crunch as Vernon's body went limp and that was before the man, no, _thing_ swallowed Vernon whole. Harry was horrified as well as frozen in shock but in the small dark corners of his mind he felt bad for the it, it would likely get sick off eating Vernon's fat flesh. Harry felt a bit dizzy and sick but that only worsened when the thing turned to face Harry within another blink. Harry looked up at it and saw no blood, his suit was clean with not a single drop of blood even though it had just swallowed a whale of a man whole. The thing wore a black suit with a white shirt and a blood red tie. Harry looked at it's face only to find it had none. No eyes, no mouth, no nose even. Harry wished in that moment he could flee, running was the only option he had if it tries to eat him but he was frozen stiff. His body refused to move or run and all he could do was pant quickly.

Harry felt even more ill and suddenly the world felt like it was spinning now. Harry noticed the world getting darker and darker but he couldn't stop it as he felt too sick and off to do anything. Harry passed out from his sudden sickness almost falling onto the blood covered floor but he was caught before he could hit the ground. The slender man caught Harry before he hit the floor and lifted the boy into his arms. The creature cradled Harry in his arms before it moved out of what remained of the dinning hall, another creature trailing behind him.


	2. The Child Who Accepted His New Family

AN 3/17/2017: More editing and grammar fixes!

* * *

Harry didn't know what happened after he passed out. He did know he was laying on something that was soft. Softer then anything he had slept on before. Though seeing as he's only slept on a ratty old mattress with only a thin sheet. It would be understandable how anything would be better, but this was beyond better then what he had in his cupboard. Harry was scared to open his eyes and realize the softness of the bed under him wasn't real. The blanket over him was warm and thick and soooo soft. The only thing that made Harry think to open his eyes was the feeling of someone stroking his hair. It felt nice enough that Harry leaned into the touch but he knew neither his aunt or uncle would ever do that .

The realization that had made his eyes snap open came seconds later.

His uncle and aunt and cousin were dead, killed by some horrible white thing. The same thing that was stroking his hair right even as Harry looked at it with only fear. The slender man like thing paid Harry no heed and continued to stroke his hair as if he was still asleep. The Slender Man's movements were slow and gentle as it stroked Harry's hair with a single slender hand. It's fingers long enough to stroke Harry's whole head with them. It seemed to be hunched down quite a lot to be able to touch Harry's head but even then it didn't look any smaller.

Harry didn't know what to do or how to get out of the situation he was now in. Harry didn't have to wait long for something to change. Soon the creature slid it's long hand down against Harry's back. It gently pushed Harry to sit up ignoring how Harry shivered at the feeling of the slender hand on his back. The hand was cold and he could feel it's cold through Dudley's large hand me downs. Harry sat up and the Creature moved within a blink of his frightened green eyes. It's head was right in front of his own staring at him. Harry wasn't sure how he knew the creature was staring seeing as it had no eyes but he could feel that it was.

Harry nearly whimpered in fear when the creature moved it's other hand and touched his forehead. It touched his scar and a loud static sound began all around him scaring him even worse. Making Harry stiffen and then shake in fear, the lights flickered and the creature made a inhuman sound that scared Harry right to his core. He didn't know what was causing the static or why it sounded so loud in his ears. He just wanted to hide and get away from the sound but he was unable, there was no way he could save himself and no one cared enough to save him anyway. Within a blink of his eyes, the lights stopped flickering and the creature had moved back enough to allow Harry to breath and then look around the room. The room he realized he never managed to get a look at until the creature moved away from him.

The room was made of blackened wood, that while it didn't look rotten, was still dark and different. The rest of the room looked old, ancient really. Everything was covered in dust and the lights were just lit candles. It looked like a room out of those horror movies. Dudley loved using those movies to get him hurt by Vernon by claiming he was trying to ruin the movie for Dudley the moment Harry stopped reacting in fear to what Dudley forced him to watch.

Harry looked at the creature and bit his lip. His fear had faded a bit and now he just wondered what the creature wanted with him. Before Harry could do or say anything a giggle sounded out from the shadows of the doorway. Harry saw glowing ruby red eyes from the shadows before a small shadowy see-though.. Angel? The shadowy little angel giggled again and moved into the room holding a plate over it's head. It leaped up onto the bed by flapping it's tiny wings. The plate, as Harry saw now, had sandwiches on it. The little angel set the plate down and jumped off the bed. It nuzzled the slender man before it disappeared into the shadows again.

Harry looked at the plate and then the creature that still stood beside the bed he sat on. Food? Why did they give him that? Harry didn't understand and he wondered if this was some awful plan to fatten him up and then eat him. A snort was heard from the shadows after Harry thought that. " _Do you really think we plan to eat you child?_ " The voice sounded like a hundred voices were speaking all at once all ending in sinister voice. Harry flinched and curled up into a ball as if hiding within himself would protect him from whatever was there. The voices chuckled and the creature moved again after Harry blinked.

The creature stood in front of the bed, it's long slender hand wrapping the thick neck of the second creature. The new creature had so many black eyes all fitting on many faces on it's one head. It was almost the opposite of the slender man creature. It was large and bulky with a backwards sharp fin on it's oddly large back and looked as though it wore some kind of robe. It's whole jaw open making it look like it had as many mouths as it did eyes. The creature gurgled as it's neck was gripped so tight by the other while it's thin hands clawed at the hand holding it's throat. " _You know we won't harm the boy, we did not mean to frighten him._ " The bulky creature managed to wheeze out before the first creature let it's neck go. The second creature's long, yet oddly thin, clawed hands rubbed at it's thick neck as it hid more in the darkness. " _We apologize for frightening you child. We meant no real harm._ "

Harry didn't look any less scared at it but when he blinked again and the slender man was back at his side, stroking his hair. Harry did feel safer even though he knew he shouldn't. "W-who are you?" Harry asked quietly, scared to even talk that loud. The second creature's eyes all moved onto him. Harry shrunk back at the attention. The slender man kept stroking his hair and brought a sandwich to his mouth. Harry looked at the sandwich and him before taking a bite of it. " _I am known as The Crawler_." Harry crewed the surprisingly good sandwich before swallowing. " _And the being feeding you is called Slender Man by your kind_."

The sandwich tasted so great and Harry ate some more of it while he listened to the multi voiced creature. The sandwich was sweet and meaty, like it had jelly and chicken in it. " _My child can make good human food yes? It so does enjoy making it from the berries and chickens around this place. My child made it just for you little human._ " The Crawler said and chuckled as Harry nodded before he spoke. "thank you for the food." Harry told the big creature through a mouth filled with food as the Slender Man didn't stop for a second from feeding him more of the sandwich after he saw how much Harry liked it. He didn't know why this Slender man was taking care of him but.. It felt nice and Harry felt safe. Now as Harry looked at the Crawler, the many eyed creature didn't look as scary. Nor did the Slender Man. He was feeding him, letting him eat good fresh food, and it was made just for him.

Harry never had this feeling before. His fear bled away as he ate and as Slender Man stroked his hair. He finally finished one sandwich before he looked at Slender Man. "Are you my dad?" The slender being's hand stopped for a moment mid stroke. Harry never knew his father, and all that the Durley's told him could be a lie and maybe that was why they had called him a freak, because he was a child of a monster. Harry already knew Slender Man didn't speak but he took Slender man's hand moving again as a good sign. Maybe he wasn't his dad but he knew someone cared, even if they weren't human. Harry knew he killed Vernon and Petunia and Dudley but Harry found he didn't care. All his 'family' had done was hurt him, use him and abuse him like he was their personal slave.

Harry knew deep down somehow that the two creatures here didn't want to hurt him. Harry managed to eat two more sandwiches before he grew sleepy. He shifted laying down and tried to hug Slender Man's long arm. Both the creatures were surprised by that but Harry had fallen asleep already by the time his head hit the pillow.

" **He.. is.. different..** "

" _He accepted our darkness so freely, all because you saved him._ "

" ** _He.. was.. being.. used.. hurt.. for blood.. he doesn't.. know he.. carries.._** "

" _The dark accepts him. He is ours now. No mortal of light or dark shall have him now._ "

" _ **He is... our child.**_ "

* * *

 _At H_ _ogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry_

Albus Dumbledore, the greatest of all wizards was currently having a panic attack. His soon to be puppet Harry Potter was missing! Missing and possibly dead! The Durley's were missing and their only possible remains were a puddle of blood on the floor of a muggle camp dining hall. If Albus hadn't had little Harry tuned into his machines he'd be worse then panicked but thank Merlin he did. His machines couldn't tell him where Harry was, which annoyed him greatly, but they did tell him he was still alive. He popped a lemon drop into his mouth and sighed. Everything would be fine. He'd get his pawn back soon enough. As long as Harry was alive, the owls would find him and if Harry was frightened and scared all the better! Albus could play his part better and get the boy under his control even easier.

Albus waved off the worried professor McGonagall who was yet again nagging at him in worry for his little pawn. "Oh don't worry Minerva, little Harry is just fine. He'll be here for his schooling on time I promise you." That didn't stop her but Albus has learned to tune her out by now. Really he wasn't worried even if he lost Potter he had little Neville in case Harry stayed gone, but he did want his main pawn. He took a deep breath and looked at Minerva. "I swear to you Minerva, we'll find him and all will be well." He said playing his gently old grandfather act. It worked even on her and he smiled as she finally accepted his words. "Fine Albus but you better find him. He's all I have left of Lilly and James and I won't lose their son too."


	3. The Light Within The Dark's Ally

AN 3/17/2017: Edited and fixed grammar mistakes. Also to whoever can guess what Crawler said and what the first ship of this fic will, you'll get a cookie.

Responses to reviews:

 **Black Shades of Red** : Harry won't likely ever turn into Jeff and it isn't likely Jeff will be in this fic either. Most of the other creepypastas scare the hell outta me so.. for now most of the others outside of Slender will be included. Although Harry might become a creepypasta of his own making but we'll have to see.

 **ScarletYakuza** : Seeing as Slender is right next to me anyway I don't think he'd have to hunt me down XD but thank you soooooo much for your kind words! This is my first lengthy fanfic.

* * *

Harry woke up hours later from the light that was shining into the room through the windows. Harry whined and tried to hide under his blanket to get away from the light. He didn't even know the room had windows to let light into the room. Harry sighed sleepily before he slowly sat up. He rubbed at his eyes and froze for a moment. He wasn't wearing his glasses but he could see alright, it wasn't perfect but the world wasn't so bad, not as bad and blurry as it had been before. That confused Harry but he shook his head and looked around for his glasses. He found his glasses on the nightstand, made of the same blackened wood as the rest of the room. He put them on and smiled with happiness. Harry was still here, still alive. Slender Man saved him from his family and now he was staying here, at least Harry hoped he was.

Harry got up and out of the bed. He was nervous to leave the room but he really needed to go to the bathroom. He found two doors and he opened one to find it was a clean bathroom, it looked like his room did but it didn't have any dust. Harry used it as he needed before he looked in the mirror and tried to fix his hair a bit. It was a wild mess and he didn't always like that. Harry wished he had different clothes to wear too. He's worn Dudley's ratty old clothes for a few days now and he wanted to look better so that maybe Slender Man would let him stay here. Monsters had to be better then people, people hated monsters for a reason and right now he hoped that he'd be monstrous enough to allowed to stay here. He knew Slender Man wasn't human so he didn't know if he'd let Harry stay here, and seeing as he was just a kid and human at that he didn't know if he could be anything but a good person. The Durley's hadn't been good people by any means though but at least it gave him a how to not be list. Harry didn't think he needed a lot so he hoped Slender Man wouldn't mind him staying. Really he lived on little due to the Durley's so he could live on the same as he had before.. Slender had already treated him better then the Durley's had ever treated him and he was a murdering monster. Could a monster really be nice? Harry hoped so.

Harry left the bathroom and stared at the door. He didn't know if he was allowed to leave but.. Slender Man saved him so he couldn't be like the Durley's, not that Harry would mind being locked in this room. It was so much better then the dirty old cupboard his 'family' forced him to live in all his life. Harry sighed. He knows it's just a door and Slender Man wouldn't let him get hurt. He wouldn't have killed the Durley's if he didn't want him hurt anymore. Harry bit his lip and opened the door finding a dark hallway that almost had him running back to his bed because of how dark and sinister it seemed. He swallowed nervously before he walked out the door and into the hallway. Harry saw a lot of doors but he didn't touch any of them before he heard giggling nearby and he followed it into what looked like the kitchen.

Currently the same little shadowy angel from before was giggling at Slender Man, and the said being was wearing a white apron over his suit and was.. trying to make pancakes?  
Harry stared at Slender Man as he tried to follow the little angel's actions in making a pancake. The little angel was doing it perfectly and not messing up at all as it stood on a stool to cook. Slender Man however wasn't doing well at all, he tried to flip a half cooked pancake and it somehow landed on his nonexistent face. Harry bit his lips and covered his mouth trying not to giggle but some of the giggle slipped out. Slender Man turned and stared at Harry but that just made Harry giggle more as the pancake slid off his face and onto the floor. Slender Man tilted his head down at it on the floor. Just as that happened a few cats appeared and started eating the pancake. Harry blinked in confusion. Where did the cats come from?

A chuckle came from the shadows behind Harry and the boy yet again froze at it. Harry forgot about the Crawler. " _Slender, why must you keep so many of those animals. It's hard to even slip through the shadows with them chasing me like one of those lazer pointers._ " Crawler's many voices hissed in annoyance as they slid over to take one of the finished pancakes after chuckling again at surprising Harry. Slender grabbed the same pancake as Crawler and managed to glare without having eyes. " _Oh like that scares us now, we've been with you for centuries and that glare stopped working after the third century."_ Crawler told Slender Man with an oddly playful tone before they reached out and held a clawed hand to Slender's face, or the lack there of. " _Do try a different look meus_ _ _aeternus_ amor._ " Crawler cooed in a sweet voice.

Slender Man continued to stare at Crawler before he released the pancake and turned his head over to Harry as the little angel waved at Harry and made an odd squeaking sound. Harry, having finally gotten over the nearly 20 cats Slender Man had and the pancake deal, walked over to the little angel and smiled. "Mr Crawler, what's the name of the little angel?" He asked and looked at his new dad as he tried and failed again to flip another pancake, that one however hit the ceiling and then landed on the top of Slender's head. Crawler chuckled and they smiled in a way that Harry couldn't tell if he was going to be eaten or murdered. " _It's name? It doesn't have one._ " Crawler said before they ate the pancake it took.

Harry frowned at that. "Everyone should have a name." Harry said before he squeezed in front of Slender to get to the shove and take over making pancakes with the tiny Angel. "I'm calling him Angel then. He looks like a little angel." Crawler looked at Harry and stared with a faint confusion. Slender watched Harry as he made the pancakes much easier then Slender had and with far more skill. "The Durley's made me cook for them all the time. I like cooking, I just like eating some of it too." Harry said answering the question that hung in the air. The little angel leaned against Harry and purred trying to comfort Harry as he looked sad. Harry smiled at the little Angel and moved to pet it's head a bit.

It was more like petting air than anything else but it still made Harry smile. Slender Man reached out and stroked Harry's hair. Harry smiled up at the Slender man when he came to pet his head. Slender moved as the cats started rubbing all over him. Slender walked over to a large black plush chair in the adjoined living room that even someone of his height could relax in and still have space. He sat down and the cats followed him before they climbed up resting all over him. Harry grabbed a plate after the rest of the pancakes were done and made himself a plate of pancakes. Crawler stole more pancakes before shifting into the shadows besides Slender in the fancy looking living room. The Crawler's own child took a pancake before moving into the shadows to sit with Crawler. " _Child_ _._ "

Harry looked over at Crawler. "Yes Mr Crawler?" The creature chuckled at the Mister before they sighed. " _Slender plans to take you to get clothes and other items you may need. As soon as you are done eating you will be going._ " Harry looked surprised at that before he smiled "Thank you.. but does this mean I can stay here?" Harry asked Slender and then looked to Crawler as well after he moved to stand next to Slender. The tall being looked over to Crawler and seemed to have some kind of silent conversation. " _..Harry did you honestly think you'd be alive if we didn't plan to have you stay with us. You have a home now and obviously you need things we do not have for your care._ " The Crawler's many voices said in the gentlest tone Harry had ever heard the monster give. Harry was caught off guard by his words and his bright green eyes teared up. Harry had been trying not to hope and maybe they knew that but hearing that for sure he had a home now was so unexpected to him.

Slender reached out within a blink. He tugged the teary boy into his lap as the cat in that spot moved to make room. Harry blushed a bit. He had never sat in anyone's lap before but it was nice, it is his new dad's lap. Slender held him close and stroked his hair while Harry ate his pancakes trying not to cry in happiness. He stopped for a moment and frowned. "Slender Man why were you trying to make pancakes?" Harry asked curiously. Slender's hand stopped and Crawler chuckled. " _He was trying to take care of you by making you food_." Crawler picked up their child and the tiny angel purred as it nuzzled Crawler. Harry looked shocked but leaned against Slender's body, it was so hard not to cry but Harry managed it. He wasn't able to finish much of the pancakes he took but he was full and happy and more then ready to get new clothes.

Slender took the now finished plate from Harry and set it down on the blackened wood table. Harry looked up at Slender before he moved and got out of his lap. Slender stood and towered over Harry. Harry wasn't tall to begin with since he looked like he was 8 but Slender was at least 7 feet tall at that very moment. His arms were longer then his knees and to anyone else the mare sight of him could have scared others screaming and running. Yet for Harry it made him feel safe to have someone so tall on his side. Slender Man lifted Harry up by his sides and cradled the boy to his chest just as he had the night before. Within a confusing blink, Harry and Slender were in a park. Harry knew this park too. It was the same nice park Dudley got taken too all the time. Harry only knew because his aunt had to take him along and the other times he had been chased here by Dudley and his friends.

Harry didn't notice, because of Slender's height, the masked man below him. The man chuckled and Harry's attention snapped to the new person. He was an odd looking man, he wore a white hoodie and had a mask. A pure white mask with black covering the eyes and the mask had an odd smile on it. "Hey kid, I'm Masky." Harry tried to hide in Slender's chest but that only made the man chuckle before Slender lowered him to the ground and sat him down. The new and startling man lowered his hood and took the mask off. The man turned out to have long brown hair and a kind smile. "Don't worry kiddo I won't hurt you, I'm here to help you get new clothes with Slender Man." Harry bit his lip before he looked up at Slender and then back to Masky. "H-Hi.. I'm Harry." Harry said looking down quickly as he was trained to by the Durley's to do with any adult.

Masky knelt down and gently grabbed Harry's shoulders, getting Harry's full attention and a slight flinch from him. "Hey there Harry. You can talk to me, no one is gonna hurt you for talking or being around I promise you." Harry looked up and gave a shy smile before nodding. Masky smiled back and ruffled Harry's wild black hair. "Good kid. Now come on let's get you some clothes alright." Harry smiled a bit more and nodded again. Slender followed close to Harry and Masky, never letting go of Harry's hand as Masky led Harry into a small clothing store across from the park. No one seemed to even notice Slender as they walked inside and that made Harry wonder why. Masky led Harry into the boys kid area and had Harry sit down the bench there. "Ok your old family didn't fit you in the right clothes. Those clothes are too big for you. Alright hmm.." Masky said after he checked the size of the clothes Harry wore.

Masky looked around and smiled. "What's your favorite color Harry?" Harry looked up at Masky "I don't have one." Masky looked shocked at that before a look of anger past through his eyes as he looked up at Slender. "Well let's fix that ok kiddo. Every kid needs a favorite color." Masky lifted Harry up into his arms, holding him on his hip like a mother would do with her child, so he could pick from the clothes Slender was holding for them. "Ok we have some cool clothes here. Pick what you like best and we'll go from there Harry." Harry bit at his lip but slowly nodded and started to look through the clothes Slender held.

It was overwhelming but in a good way. Masky was letting him pick his clothes and carrying him like he had seen other kids carried by their parents or older siblings. Harry pulled out a nice looking white hoodie, like Masky's. He looked over Slender for a second before grabbing a black shirt that had the print of a red tie on it. Harry found some black and red pants with lots of pockets and grabbed them too. Masky chuckled before he set Harry down "Ok you like Slendy's colors then we can go with that for now." Masky said and grabbed a few more sets of similar clothes for Harry. Harry looked a little confused and Masky noticed after he saw Harry staring at the pile of clothes that Masky had sat on a bench. "What's wrong Harry? Don't like any of them anymore? We can pick different ones." Harry looked down suddenly and shook his head. Slender reached out and gently lifted Harry's chin.

Harry was crying. Harry never thought he was going to be allowed this many clothes, and Masky still wasn't done. First he got a new home that actually wanted him with a dad that really really wanted to care of him and now Masky was getting all the clothes he could need. It was overwhelming in the best way but Harry couldn't stop crying now. Masky moved closer to Harry and pulled him into a hug. "Hey, hey, everything's fine Harry."

"I don't need this much.." Harry whispered almost too low for Masky to hear. "I only need a pair.. I don't need this much.." Harry didn't know what to do, he wasn't used to being hugged and it just made him cry more. Harry bit his lip remembering how no one liked a loud cry baby like Dudley said. Harry might be a ten year old but this is another gift of true affection from another monster that did care. How could he be expected to handle care and affection as if it wasn't this new amazing gift. Masky rubbed his back and whispered little words to try and help calm Harry down. "You might not need it all but you deserve it all Harry, every kid needs a lot of clothes and stuff, and we want to give you that." Masky whispered as Slender moved and gave his own show of affection.

Slender pulled Harry back from Masky and into his lap. His arms wrapping around Harry holding him to his chest. A single hand in Harry's hair, his long fingers running through his hair. Harry hiccuped but calmed down at everything. Being wrapped up and held so close to his savor and new dad made him calm.

Masky first thought Slender Man just wanted to kill Harry and make him watch when he was summoned out to that park. He hadn't expect Slender to actually care. The Slender Man never did anything to show he had anything but a violent curiosity towards normal people, or sort of normal anyway. Masky was shocked beyond belief to see the monster that created him, hug Harry to him and see the kid calm down right away. It was like Slender was Harry's guardian angel. Harry stopped crying and his tense body went limp the moment Slender held him. It was hard to remember Slender wasn't a monster and not.. and not the opposite of what he was.

Harry smiled at Masky and hugged Slender's arms. "I'm ok now dad." Harry mumbled as his hands rubbed Slender's arms. His arms didn't move for a bit but soon Slender's arms unwrapped and were back at his sides. Masky knew right off the bat without Slender Man telling him Harry had been abused but it still hurt to see such a nice kid so upset over too many clothes. It did throw Masky for a loop to hear the kid call Slender Man dad though. Harry got off Slender's lap and stood. "I'm sorry Masky I'm ok now." He said and smiled a bit brighter. Masky smiled down at the kid "That's ok kiddo don't be sorry. Let's just get you the rest of your stuff." Masky told him and chuckled kindly at him.

Everything went well after that. Masky took Harry around the store getting everything a growing kid would need while letting Harry pick the colors of everything. Slender was basically their shopping cart but he didn't seem to mind, until Masky tried to take a picture of it. At that point Masky was carried upside down for the rest of the empty bathroom aisle. Harry had been surprised to see Slender Man's tentacles but that had only been for a moment before he asked if he could be carried by one later.

They bought all of the new clothes and needed bathroom items, and got Harry changed into his new clothes. Harry now wore, instead of Dudley's old hand me downs, an outfit that looked like a mix of Masky's white outfit and Slender's suit. Harry wore the white hoodie he picked unzipped with the black red tie t shirt on underneath it. Along with the black and red cameo pants and the new black kid sized boots Masky picked for him. Masky and Slender approved of the outfit and then took Harry to an eye doctor to get him better glasses.

Masky told the eye doc that Harry was his little brother and that their parents needed him to take Harry since they were too busy with work. With the excuse out of the way the doctor had Harry sat down and began to check his eyes. "Hmm his eyes looks ok but you do need some better glasses Harry." The doctor said with a kind smile as she went and found a good pair of glasses for him. "Ok kiddo these should give you perfect sight until you're old enough for contacts." She handed a shy and nervous Harry a pair of sliver glasses and Harry put them on. Harry grinned. "Wow everything is so clear!" Masky grinned and patted Harry's back. "Yep, I kept telling mom and dad we needed to get you better glasses sooner." Harry nodded playing along and smiled at Slender who stood over them behind the doc. "Thank you!" He said to Slender but the doctor thought he was speaking to her. "You're welcome Harry." She didn't seem to question why Masky spoke without an English accent while Harry had one.

Harry, Masky and Slender left after Masky paid for the glasses. Harry walked between them. One hand held by Slender and another held by Masky. Harry was happy and he could see and he had new clothes! Nothing could get much better. "Ok kid one last thing you need." Harry looked over at Masky and looked confused. "Harry, ice cream." Harry still looked confused and Masky only rolled his eyes before he led Harry and Slender over an ice cream fender. Harry looked surprised. "I don't-" "Hush Harry you've been a really good kid today you deserve some ice cream. Now Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry?" Masky asked smiling down at Harry. "..Chocolate please." Harry answered and smiled.

Nether Harry or Masky noticed the man watching them as they chatted and licked at their ice cream, but Slender did. Slender Man allowed himself to be seen by the man before a ear beating loud static began all around the man. Slender's head violently snapped towards the man and he stared at the man before he disappeared with a pop no one but Slender himself heard.


	4. The False Light Seeks Dark's Child

AN 3/19/2017: More editing and grammar fixes.

Responses to reviews.

 **MP7 BOSS:** As far as pairings go, I don't know if there will be any right now. Wait until Harry grows up a bit and we'll see. As to why Slender is being so caring rather then the usual aggressive nature. We have only seen/heard about his interactions with adults. We really don't know how he'd react to a child outside of kidnapping them, which again we do not know his reasoning for it nor any info about the children he kidnaps. For this story I'd like to show something more benevolent light towards children, especially abused children. He still will be the usual slender we all know and love towards adults and non proxy creatures.

 **dmc fanboy:** God I needed your review honestly. You gave me some stuff to get past my writer's block for this chapter. Sadly to say Harry won't ever learn dark magics from the creepypastas, at least the ones that are not magically inclined already. That said, Harry WILL get some abilities from them but it will be with a more logical reason as to why and how he got them. If you read this chapter you may see where I'm going with it at the end.

* * *

John Dawlish has been known to be a fearless man and a very skilled Auror but as he sat on that bench waiting, he wondered what the real point of this was. The Potter kid was dead, he had to be. Whatever killed the boy's family and over ten muggles had to be as crazed as a werewolf but there had been no bodies left behind so there was a slight chance that maybe the boy was alive. Dumbledore wanted him here looking for the missing child. As if the kid could get back to the small town even if he lived anyway, other aurors had searched the forest and found nothing. John was currently disguised as a muggle and under a strong Disillusionment Charm so no one would pay him any mind as he watched and waited. He had been long ready to leave as he spotted a kid and a young man. The boy had black hair and wore a odd mix of black red and white. The young man wore all white and seemed normal as far as he could tell. John stared at them and he gained a look of surprise as he managed to catch sight of Harry Potter's famous lightning bolt scar on the boy's forehead.

John was glad he choose this bench to sit on while he was on watch for the kid. The bench let him just catch sight of the boy's scar. Dumbledore and the Minister were going to be so pleased with him after he grabs the kid and takes him to safety. He didn't know how the kid was still alive though or why that brown haired man was with him. John noticed the kid was holding something with his left hand while he held his ice cream with his right. 'There's nothing in his hand? Why is he holding it like that?' Dawlish wondered within his mind until he blinked and suddenly saw what the boy was holding onto. As first John thought it was a muggle but then he noticed how unbelievable tall it was. It was taller then Rubeus Hagrid and so much thinner. It's whole body was so slender that it frightened him. No dark wizard ever gave him such a sense of dread and sheer death as that human like creature did, not even the Dementors. As first John hoped he was seeing things but he blinked again and again and it was still there. John couldn't breath as the thing moved with such slowness that it didn't seem to be moving until John blinked again. It stared at him with an empty head, no face not a single thing on it's pure white head.

Never in John's life had he felt so much fear as the creature stared right into his soul and through it. John noticed a horrible sound start all around him that added onto the sheer fear that seemed to fill him. John Dawlish was a fearless man but in that moment he learned true fear and he did what any sane person would do. He disapparated as if the grim reaper itself was on his heels.

 **At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

John gasped as he reappeared at Hogwarts in Dumbledore's office. He made it just in time, Dumbledore was having a meeting with the school staff and the Minster Of Magic Cornelius Fudge. Everyone stopped talking as John apparated inside the office with a look of extreme panic and fear. "What is the meaning of this Auror Dawlish?" Fudge asked stiffly, looking annoyed at being interrupted "I-I found Harry Potter." John panted out. Minerva McGonagall looked relived by the news along with the rest of the teachers. All except Severus Snape who looked as though he didn't care whatsoever but there was a hidden glint of worry for Lily's child in his dark eyes. "Are you alright Auror Dawlish? What happened? Is Harry Ok?" McGonagall asked not noticing how Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at the news. John ran a hand through his hair. "F-fine but the boy.. Can I have a c-calming potion please?" Dawlish never stuttered but now he was. Dawlish kept looking around as if something was going to grab him at any moment. Madam Pomfrey looked worried but handed Dawlish one from her bag. The man downed it before siting down in an empty chair Professor McGonagall transfigured for him.

"The boy.. He's fine. I was siting in the muggle park I was assigned to when I saw him. He was dressed oddly in muggle clothes and he was with a young man who wore all white. He looked fine, no wounds that I could see and he even looked happy." John told them as Dumbledore frowned. "Why didn't you bring him here? He can only be safe if he is with us now." Dumbledore asked. John went pale again and looked around frightfully as he ran a hand through his hair. "I couldn't get him.. Some **thing** was with him.." Everyone looked worried and confused by that. "What thing Mr Dawlish?" Flitwick asked with a curious but wary look. "Merlin I have no idea what it was. It.. it was tall, taller then Rubeus Hagrid." Shocked looks echoed through the room by all but Snape. The Potions professor however paid full attention to the conversation now.

"It was slender, thinner then any man and so much taller then one. It wore a muggle suit but.. it's skin was white, chalk white. And it's head.. oh Merlin it had no face! It turned and looked at me, stared at me but it had no face or eyes!" Almost everyone in the room looked frightened by that. John held his face. "It.. made this horrible static sound.. like a broken muggle radio but so much louder.. It was so loud it hurt ." He forced himself to calm down with a few deep breathes. "It held the boy's hand, I didn't see it somehow at first like it was under powerful Disillusionment Charm. I saw the boy smiling at it and holding it's hand like it wasn't a monster. The creature made me leave before I could even stand." Fudge finally got his brains back together and huffed. "You are a trained Auror Dawlish you could have handled it but instead you ran like coward, you should be ashamed boy."

Snape glared at Fudge. "You have no idea what he was up against. He was smart to flee." Dumbledore looked over at Snape "Severus my boy, you know what creature was?" He glared at everyone else as they snapped their heads to him and stared. He released a deep sigh. "I know the creature. I've only seen it once before and that had been a horrible day."

It had been when he was a child with lily. Just a few months after they had grown to be friends and before they went to Hogwarts. Lily had just turned ten and they were playing the park they'd taken as their own. Lily was a bright girl, always able to see the best in others even as a child so young. Lily had taken to hanging around the forest behind her family's home and nor Snape or her sister knew why. Lily would always come back hours later with the flower of her namesake and she'd just smile when asked about it. "I made a friend Sev, it likes to live in the forest but maybe you'll meet it one day." She said as they sat on the swing set chatting together. They chatted for hours until it was growing dark. Lily was about to return home for dinner but before she could a muggle man came and grabbed her. Snape tried to protect her but it was a grown man and he pushed him causing the boy to fall and hit his head against the metal of the swing set. Severus had been knocked out by the hit but he woke up seconds later watching Lily struggling to get away from the sick muggle man.

She was going to be taken away and Snape could do nothing.

"I watched as Lily tried to fight against that sick muggle but she was only a young child. I couldn't move to help her, my body was frozen in fear and pain but then the creature came. The lights around the park flashed and popped, once the park was almost bathed in darkness. It appeared. Out of no where the very creature you described, appeared right in front of the man as he tried to carry Lily away. I could hear static so loud and.. angry. I couldn't see it's face but I saw Lily look unafraid at the sight of the creature." Snape remembered her look of happiness and how she went limp as if she didn't care what happened now that the creature was there. "A tendril shot from it's back and speared the muggle man through the shoulder causing the muggle to drop Lily. She ran to the creature and it grabbed her." Even Dumbledore looked shocked and nearly sickened at Snape's tale.

"It picked her up and.. cradled her. I saw her head hiding in it's shoulder. I remember hearing whispers from the shadows but I still to this day cannot figure out what was said. It moved within a blink and set Lily down next to me. I knew then that creature.. cared for Lily, the static died away and it seemed like it didn't want to let her go." A twitch of a smile hit Snape's lips. "But Lily, she started to fuss over me, I had a small head wound from hitting the swing set. I couldn't stop watching the creature and I watched it as it devoured that muggle whole. I heard it crush the muggle's bones."

Snape looked calm as he told the tale but everyone could see his hands shaking. He looked at Dumbledore and Fudge."It was the same friend Lily told me about, and if that is the same being protecting her child now. Her son is safer then if the boy was locked and hidden in Azkaban." Snape finished before he stood. He looked at Dumbledore with a glare. "Any attempts to remove Harry from the Slender Man will only end in death. I am sure of that." The Potions Professor then walked out of Dumbledore's office, leaving the stunned professors, the headmaster and the minister of magic behind.

Filius Flitwick bit his lip and look at the others. "I had heard stories and tales about the being called Slender Man. If what Snape says to be true and the Slender Man is around. We best hope we don't anger him." Minerva looked over at Filius. "What else did you hear about it."  
Flitwick didn't enjoy all the stares that were suddenly on him. "From Professor Snape and Auror Dawlish's tales we have heard only faint details about the Slender Man's powers. It can for example teleport soundlessly and has the ability to become invisible at will." He licked his lips, looking nervous. "I've heard of this Slender Man before and it is said that it can grow to heights well taller then a normal person and can grow tendrils from it's body."

"Tendrils?" McGonagall questioned looking a bit sick as Flitwick nodded. "As many as it wants or needs at the time." Fudge looked annoyed and filled with disbelief. "How do we know if that dark creature is even real? Auror Dawlish could have been tricked by the remaining death eaters and Snape was only a boy. It could have all been a dream!" Fudge didn't like issues in his plans and he knew Dumbledore didn't either. Dumbledore however was a smart man and he knew when he was beaten, for now. "No Minister, I am afraid that creature is very likely real but perhaps we can communicate with it. Professor Flitwick can you find out where the Slender Man might live? It seems to be staying near where the Durley's lived so there must be a connection." Flitwick nodded "Of course I'll go looking right now."

* * *

It has been a week since Harry came to live in Slender Man's old mansion, and odd things has started to happen with Harry. It was small things at first. Like he was able to notice the Crawler a lot easier then before and he didn't feel as scared in the dark as he had. It was weird but Harry felt good. He is happy with Slender and Crawler and now Masky. Things only grew more odd though when he had woken up one morning with a creepy nude man-dog guy staring at him. The scream Harry made was by no means girly and didn't have everyone plus the cats running into his room. Harry couldn't stop staring back at the Rake as Harry had been told by Masky that the Rake was it's name.

"Remember Harry when I told you I'm a proxy for Slender?" Harry nodded at Masky while he kept staring back at the Rake. "Yeah you work for him, like an employee." Masky smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. "Good. The Rake is a proxy too, a very old proxy. He's been with Slender so long he turned into what he is now because of the Sigma Radiation that Slender gives off over time." Harry finally broke off the unofficial staring contest with the Rake to look at Masky with confusion. "Sigma Radiation?" Harry asked.

"Sigma Radiation is a type of radiation Slender Man and certain beings like him give off. For Slender is causes Slender Sickness and the partial creation of proxies. Slender Sickness drives people off the deep end when Slender follows them around. It as well starts changing them mentality and physically. Usually a normal person wouldn't be able to handle it unless Slender stayed near them all the time." Masky explained as The Rake just kept staring at Harry until Masky threw one of the burnt pancakes Slender had made earlier at the creature. It blinked, ate the burnt pancake and then went back to staring. "Often times it turns the person into a mutant that can handle and even use the radiation to live. The Rake has been with Slender for a 100 years, or at least to cause the mutation the level the Rake has." The Rake moved over and grabbed Harry's hand, staring even more intensely at him.

Harry looked kind of freaked out at the touch. "And why is he staring so much?" Masky shrugged. "I think it's because you like one of the fallen proxies." The Rake turned it's head and stared at Masky while Harry looked confused again. "Proxies can die?" Masky looked over at Harry while he ignored the Rake's odd behavior. "Of course, everyone can die Harry. I never knew the last proxies but I found old photos of them. Slender always has his proxies in pairs." Masky said while he ate his thankfully not burnt pancakes as the Rake moved right in front of his face/mask. Harry gained a sad look. "So Rake lost his partner.. what happened to him? Masky sighed. "Some psycho called Voldemort killed him. I don't think he even knew the person he was killing when it happened but the old proxy did look like you Harry." Harry frowned at the name and stabbed at his pancakes.

Harry, Masky and the Rake were sitting in the dinning room eating breakfast. Or at least Harry and Masky were, the rake was just staring into their souls repeatedly. Harry snapped his head to the window suddenly and a faint static sound began. The sound had Masky and The Rake looking around for an annoyed Slender but they found none. Masky knew Slender wasn't here but he didn't know what was creating that sound. He noticed the Rake staring at Harry and then he realized. Harry, he was making the sound. "Harry..?" Masky whispered as he reached out and touched the kid's shoulder. "Someone is in the forest Masky.. Someone bad."


	5. A Fool Never Changes

AN 4/18/17: Edits and partial rewrite.

 **denis.d2505** : Yeah no sadly Harry will never gain all of Slender Man's powers nor will he become slender (However that's not to say he won't be using that as an idea for a prank of course)

Masky is based loosely on the character of the same name from the Marble Hornets YouTube videos, and Rake is a creepy pasta of his own so he is just based on himself.

 **MP7 BOSS** :

1: Harry is a boy c: and Slender didn't at first notice Harry was Lily's child until he found Lily's sister. It was hard for him to forget a person with such a painful scream.

2: No there will be no godlike Harry for any reason and sadly not because of the sigma radiation. Slender is not a god and nor can Harry be even with powers like his.

3: Harry might go to Hogwarts and if he does in fact go he will of course not be alone.

4: As of yet I have not decided how many but it's unlikely that many will show up now. Harry is a young boy and Slender will keep all of the other pastas away (Except for a certain few) from Harry for the sake of the boy's mind. This also answers question 5. Slender will not speak to Harry until he is older as it is required to be Slender's proxy to be able to understand him if you are not already a pasta.

6: Nope sadly never going to happen because Slender is not a wizard nor even remotely human. As well Harry is gaining a few very very slight changes by just being with Slender as he has so theoretically the longer Harry stays with him the more changes that will appear.

 **dmc fanboy** : Thank you for liking my story and my oddball choice of crossover. Harry will gain some oddities that come from living with Slender but due to his magic it is unlikely he'll mutate like the Rake did. It takes a very long time to mutate to such a level as the Rake did, and of course how Masky is mutated is a question too C:

It would be no fun if everything was one sided. Slender is powerful but that's not to say he is going to be able to kill every enemy and go everywhere. Magic is tricky and Slender doesn't use magic even if it seems like it. Though a patronus would have no effect on him. He's dark but he is not a living shadow. Crawler is more akin to one then him.

 **ShadowTomes** : Nope no one has told me that and to be honest, I hate them so I'm ok with them being misspelled. Besides their name isn't worth going back and fixing hehe.

Sorry this has been so one everyone but finally here's the chapter. It's extra long to make up for me being gone so long.

* * *

Harry kept staring out the window with a frightened look covering his face. Harry wasn't seeing Masky or the Rake anymore, instead he was seeing the forest and a group of people. He didn't know who they were but they kept saying things about taking Harry away and killing Slender Man. The thought of losing his new family scared him, but the feelings of greed and arrogance he could feel from the lead human scared him the most. Harry didn't want to feel those things or see those awful people.

The little boy began shaking and blood dropped down from his now black eyes. The Rake moved before Masky could and wrapped his claws around the boy's face. It moved it's face close to Harry's and pressed it's forehead against the boy's. It's hollow black eyes flashed a dull red. Harry blinked and suddenly he was saw the Rake's face. Harry whimpered and closed his aching eyes before he hugged the Rake, crying in earnest. "B-bad people wanna take me away.. They wanna kill Slender." The young boy cried quietly clutching the Rake while Crawler appeared from the shadows looking enraged by the sound of his second child crying.

The Crawler had grown closer to the human boy during the last week. Watching how the boy treated it's last child and how even though the boy feared them he had treated them with kindness. It made Crawler grow to accept Harry as their own since Slender had already taken him, they might as well do the same. The child even ran to them for comfort if they were near.

" _What has happened? Why is the child crying?_ " Crawler demanded, it's voices angry and cold looking behind a shocked Masky before Slender Man reappeared standing behind Masky. Slender looked out the window just as Harry had and the lights began to flicker as static sounded so much louder then the sound Harry had made. Slender growled and the sound was harsh and unnatural before he teleported away.

* * *

 _In the nearby forest._

Fudge didn't care about any dreamed up creature a coward and a traitor think they saw. Frankly Fudge believed completely that this Slender Man was some made believe probably created by the deatheaters instead of any real being. If there was some creature killing people with tentacles it would be dead by now. And so Fudge brought a group of his best Aurors with him to hunt down the creature, if it was real, and get Harry Potter back. Harry Potter was just a weak child hiding. Fudge would be so revered for being the savor of Harry Potter, the poor lost child who had lost his family all over again. It might even get him into the Order Of Merlin for saving the brat.

Of course Minister Fudge believed in his own greatness so much so that he didn't even notice the tall chalk white being standing right besides him. Fudge's man however did and they stopped dead in their own fear of the creature. Fudge stopped and looked behind to see his men frozen in fear. "Oi what is it now?" He asked annoyed that they were scared of a mare forest at night. "S-s-sir.. N-next to y-you.." One of the Aurors said before the Minister looked to his side and saw the front of a rather nice suit, at least before he looked up. Fudge has seen many things to fear, of course he never tells anyone he fears them, but there was nothing so frightening that made him quite so faint as this creature. It was scary that much was clear and so was it's anger.

Slender beyond angry, enraged was a fitting word. They threatened his child, frightened him, made him cry and they didn't even care that their leader was so embedded in his own greed that he didn't care for the child he was supposedly saving. The Slender Man reached out grabbing the man around the neck and lifted him up. Fudge choked from the tight grip and properly wet himself mid air. Fudge was lifted right up to the head of the creature before an awful ripping sound came. The creature was ripping its own skin open where it's jaw was while it held Fudge in the air so close to that exact place. Black tar, or what looked like it dropped from the maw of the human like creature as it proved it did in fact have a mouth. A large sharp toothed filled maw that dripped the black tar. None of the trained Aurors or the Minster could do anything with their fear overriding everything else. The Minister himself was absolutely frozen as he starred in the gray and black mouth of a creature that was about to eat him, or so he thought at least.

The Slender Man suddenly dropped the worthless human and disappeared as fast as it came but not before a warning was left behind in it's place. Pieces of paper began to drop from the trees around them.

The Aurors found themselves freed from the crushing sense of fear that had left trapped them. A few of the Aurors went to the still frozen in terror Minister who laid on the ground staring at the place where that creature had been. The many who were too frightened to move didn't even notice the few aurors that had fought through their fear enough to pull out their wands and move into a circle so to protect each other, and of course the Minster.

One Auror finally picked up one of the little pages and froze at the words on it before gathering up the rest and reading them too.

A̷̧L̢̡͞W͞A̴͠Ý̢͞S̀͜ ͏̨W͡͠A̕T̷C͡͠H̀͟E̴̡̢S̸͞ ̵͟N҉O̷̢ ̨E͏̛Y͡͠E͠͏S  
̡  
̛F̵OL̨͜LỜW̸̢S̛͢͢  
̷̀͘  
C͏͘AN'T̴ R̛Ų͏Ǹ̶.̵  
̡͞  
̷̡͘H̸̷͡E̕͜L͜P͏̵ M̧E  
̷  
̶̷D҉͘O͡͞N'T͡͞ ̨̕͞L̸͡OO̡̨K O̢R ̵͏IT̶̨ ̕T̴͡A̴̸K͡EŚ͘͡ ̛͢Y̵͞O͏U

͞L҉̧̛E̶ÀV̀E̛ ͘ME̵ AL̴Ò̶N̷͘͟E͟  
̕  
̀NO̷̴̧ ͜NO͢ N͢O͜͜ ́

̴N͏Ǫ̵̧ Ņ̸O͝ ŃǪ̴͝ ͟͏

N҉O ̨̀N̡͢O̷͝ ̕͢N̶O̧͝  
Ń͟O ̧NO̵͢ ͟͟N̵͡O̧

There were drawings on the rest of the pages and the Auror nearly pissed his pants. The Aurors who weren't about pee their pants took the pages and their Minister before fleeing from there.

* * *

 _In Slender's Mansion._

The Rake had been pried off Harry and he was now in the skinny arms of the Crawler being held and comforted. Harry still refused to open his eyes. The boy was scared of seeing again if he saw those people again. He just didn't ever want feel their feelings again. They felt so dirty and bad.

Crawler looked at Slender when the creature reappeared. Harry whimpered when he felt himself being moved to a different set of arms. Long ones this time. The young boy near burst into tears all over again as he felt his hair being stroked again. Harry felt Crawler's arms wrap back around him and over Slender's arms. His monstrous care takers were trying their best to calm Harry. Soon the tumors and whimpers stopped and Harry looked up at Slender, his eyes still closed. "I.. I don't want to open them again.." He whispered. The only response Harry got was more petting and a tiny wisp of too quiet to hear words near his ear. Harry bit his lip before he opened his eyes. All the boy saw was Slender's chest and Harry let out a sound of sheer relief.

Harry looked up at Slender's face and then Crawler's and smiled. " _You are safe my child._ " Crawler whispered gently. Harry nodded but he didn't see that his eyes has gone pure black entirely before returning to his human white and glowing emerald green.

It took a few hours after that in Slender and Crawler's arms for Harry to fully calm down but everyone felt better and happier once Harry had returned to his quietly cheerful self.

"Crawler how did I see those people?" Harry asked as he sat next to the shadowy being reading the cookbook Masky had gotten him a few days before since Harry liked cooking so much. " _You are our child and because of that you are gaining pieces of our power._ " Crawler stated softly reading his own book in an language Harry couldn't make out at all even with his new glasses. " _Slender can sense human emotion. It is an ability every one of his proxies has and as well an ability that passed itself to you._ " Crawler explained turning a page in the book. "Ok that.. Doesn't explains that." Harry mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head making the Crawler chuckled. " _No but it leads to the true explanation. Slender is a being outside the realms of normal reality and thus everything he does here is normally impossible here. Humans are an oddity to him and everything about Slender shouldn't ever exist here._ "

Harry frowned, feeling even more confused, and face palmed "You don't even know how I did that do you?" Harry said through his hand. " _Nope not at all._ " Harry groaned into his hand.

* * *

 _In Hogwarts._

The Minister of magic was completely stupid. Not only is he an idiot but he was still some what frozen in fear mumbling "No eyes.. But it sees." Over and over again. Dumbledore knew it was a warning. The papers the Aurors brought back with them confirmed that. The pages written and drawings were frightening and even Dumbledore was disturbed by them. Even with calming potions the Minister was still frightened beyond belief and with the explanations from his Aurors he understood why.

This Slender Man creature was no myth and it left a clear warning. Come here and you will die. Dumbledore couldn't risk getting Harry out of there, not while he was possibly protected by the creature but thankfully it was still just that. A possibility. In the main time Dumbledore would bide his time and tell everyone the boy was still missing and that he and the Minister were still follow leads to find the child hero. Dumbledore still firmly believed Harry would show himself soon. The boy still had Hogwarts to go too of course and that alone would make it easy to find the boy. He just had to wait for the letters to be sent out.

* * *

 _In an almost forgotten past_.

The Rake wasn't human, he hadn't been for so long. The only one who'd truly known how long it has been since he's changed was his partner. His partner had been the last of a humanity he no longer had. The only human to look like him and see something beyond a monster and a servant to an even darker master. The last lifeline to humanity. His partner was a tall, pale colored human, with shining bright green eyes and tied back black hair. The Rake could not fully remember his name but it was fine, as it could no longer remember its own, but his partner remembered. He remembered for the Rake.

The Rake still remembered the last time they saw each other before.. Before that green lightning struck him.

They had been hunting a human to drive insane, like they had done so many times before. It was nothing new but the hunting ground had been wrong. Than strange colorful lightning hit and people began to scream. His partner looked around for him thinking the Rake had been the cause. The Rake himself had been hiding on a rooftop waiting to ponce, only to see the attack begin. The gray cloak his partner wore suddenly stuck out among the normal humans and the black cloaked attackers that appeared out of thin air on the other rooftops.

He had wanted to jump and attack them before they could harm his partner but there was no time. By the time he had that thought, it was already too late. Crazed high pitched laughter rang out and then a storm of multicolored lightning rained down making anyone it touched, drop and bleed like rain. His partner ran and wove through the lights, dancing around it just before it stuck as he sought cover, but there was none. Everyone had been herded like cattle in the town plaza and now they getting slaughtered left and right as the lights rained down.

Too many screams, so may cut before they raised to their loudest cry. His partner couldn't keep dodging them all, not as more and more humans fell more bolts were aimed at him. Some finally struck him, some cut some twisted and burned. The Rake twisted with each hit, with each shock of pain sent down their link, until it stopped. Until their link broke with a final flash of green light.

The Rake remained hidden as the black cloaked humans left. He was frozen staring at his partner's body for hours.


	6. A Bond And A New Would Of Changes

_AN 4/18/17: Edits and partial rewrite._

 _Replies to reviews:_

MP7 BOSS:

 **1:** _If Harry ended up with anyone, it honestly depends on the person if they chose to be a proxy._  
 **2:** _Slender is beyond our ability to truly comprehend by our definition of reality. Slender just exists, plain and simply he always has. It's like trying to explain a god to an ant, in the end the ant can't and won't understand. Slender is the same way. He wasn't created or made with the intent to be used by some powerful being. He just is and no one can understand beyond that he just is and exists._  
 **3:** _Harry is definitely something to the second proxy but what has yet to be firmly hashed out.  
_ **4:** _Slender does everything for a reason and he is no fool. He didn't know the minister beyond he was some important person and Slender chose to avoid killing to avoid causing a future issue, as well to show how easily he_ could _have killed them. It was a warning, one they won't get again._

1: It is possible but we'll see.  
2: I have something lined up with that idea in mind.  
3: Its in the works but there isn't enough time in my timeline for that to work pre hogwarts.  
4: Honestly while it would be interesting it's never going to happen within this story, perhaps I'll write a one shot with it and we'll see where it goes from there.

To everyone who gave reviews:  
Thank you everyone you are the guys who made me come back to this story and start plotting for it again. You are all amazing :3

 _A few days after the incident with the wizards._

When Harry explained to Masky what happened, the white proxy understood what happened. Somehow Harry gained one of Slender's minor abilities, Empathy. Or at least some sort of version of it. Slender had a great many abilities but his empathy allowed him to follow his pray and know when to play on their emotional stress to instill more fear in them. Harry could sense emotions and.. see the people making the emotion even though they were still extremely far from the mansion.

"Masky.. It was scary, it was like I was feeling that bad man's emotions, like I was the one filled with greed." Harry knew what greed was like, the dursley's were very greedy people and he'd seen that a lot with Dudley. When Dudley wanted something badly just because it was shiny, or when he wanted another cone of ice cream. Harry hated that feeling of greed and the arrogance wasn't any better. "Rake.. He broke me out of it. I saw red and then their feelings were gone and I could breath again." Harry added after a few moments, still sounding confused.

Masky listened patiently but wasn't sure how the Rake did that though he was thankful for it. For some reason the Rake has been sticking around more then ever since Slender brought Harry to the house. It was odd, even for the Rake but no one did anything to remove the creature as it was one of Slender's oldest proxies. Masky sighed and gave Harry a gentle squeeze as he held Harry tightly on his lap. "I think you gained one of Slender's powers Harry. It's called Empathy, the power to read others emotions. Your empathy is pretty much like his right now but it could change." Harry frowned as he listened before he spoke up again. "What can Dad's empathy do?" Someone else chose to answer that question.

"Oh he can track and spy on people and intensify their emotions at will." A different man wearing a yellow hoodie said. He wore a mask like Masky's but it was black with red instead of Masky's white with black. "Hoodie!" Masky said with a wide grin as he set Harry down on another part of the couch to throw himself at his partner and fellow proxy. Harry was left siting on the couch confused as he watched while Masky tackled the new person to the floor. "Uhm.. Who are you?" Harry asked before he realized that was a dumb question. Masky did tell him Slender always kept his Proxies in pairs.

Hoodie laughed and grinned as he tugged his mask up showing a young man in his 20s with short blond hair with sharp blue eyes before he pushed Masky off of him. "Yo, I'm Hoodie! Masky's partner."The yellow hooded man said cheerfully with a wave. Hoodie had an almost childish voice, high pitched and playful but not so high that you couldn't tell he was a grown up.

Masky hadn't told Harry about his partner but he was really nice and fun, as Harry learned while Hoodie ended up making them lunch.

"Masky and me go way back, we've been friends since we were kids and before we met good old slendy." Said Slendy was out still making sure the forest was safe and kept free of annoying humans. Harry ended up giggling at the nickname Hoodie had for his dad. Harry's curiosity over his new power forgotten with all the happy emotions around him. Masky rolled his eyes at the nickname for Slender. The creature would probably hurt Hoodie for that if he had been there to hear it. "Slender put us through hell before he took us for his proxies." Yet at the same time while Masky had been going through his own personal hell Slender had been the only one too make sure he was eating and alive while he played his usual game with Masky and Hoodie. Drugs had nearly killed him before Slender came.

"So kid you've managed to get one of the boss' powers huh." Hoodie said bringing up Harry's new ability causing Harry to frowned and bit his lip. "Yeah, I don't know how though.. I mean you guys don't have any of Dad's powers and you've been with him a lot longer, so how did I?" Harry had a point, it was weirder then normal even for them but nether Masky or Hoodie had a good answer for Harry. The only one who even seemed to have any idea Harry's new power was the Rake but it hasn't spoken to anyone. It never spoke period.

Harry had a weird feeling as he suddenly thought about the Rake, that maybe it had the answers he needed. "I need to to talk to Rake.. Maybe he knows why?" The moment Harry said he needed to talk to the Rake and Harry stood from the kitchen table, where they had been eating and chatting, and turned to go look for him. The Rake itself suddenly appeared, right in front of Harry's face.

The green eyed boy went stiff staring right in the Rake's pure black eyes and felt very… disturbed by the Rake's sudden appearance while he backed up into his chair trying to calm down and remember to breath from the scare. "Wow the Rake must like you!" Hoodie said with a laugh that caused Harry to glare at him. "Rakey boy doesn't ever just show up if someone _wants_ to talk to him." In all honesty the Rake never showed up for any understandable reason other then to creepy people out as it seemed. For Harry to just speak that he needed to speak to Rake and just have the creature suddenly appear was odd for the Rake.

When Harry finally got his heart beat below a million beats a second, Harry turned to ask the Rake his question only to have the Rake in his face again.

Harry was beginning to realize the Rake really has no sense of personal space. "Uhm.. Mr Rake do you know why I got one of Dad's abilities?" Harry asked with a soft half scared voice.

Oh The Rake did know why. Just like his partner, this little child had the same powers. Harry looked closely like the man that had been the Rake's partner, right down to the eyes. The Rake has only ever seen one human with the same bright green eyes, as if they were lit by green flames. The creature sluggishly grabbed Harry's hand.

The Rake continued to stare into the confused boy's green eyes, until the Rake's black eyes flashed with a harsh blood red light and Harry's world went black.

* * *

Light returned to Harry's world as he found himself standing in the Slender's kitchen but no one was around. Harry was confused and frightened, nearly ready to cry out for help until he blinked. Almost like the Rake, a nude man was suddenly there, kneeling in front of Harry just staring into his eyes. This man looked human but his hair was slivery white and flowed down the man's body like a blanket of snow. His eyes were the oddest thing but Harry couldn't stop staring at them. Pretty lavender colored eyes stared back into his bright green eyes.

" _You are like him_." A soft sweet sounding male voice came from the man before Harry. " _You are magical Harry_." The man's smile showed his true nature to Harry. His smile was kind but the teeth were sharped and covered in blood, that then started to flow from the man's mouth.

* * *

A bright flash suddenly pulled Harry back into a world of darkness. Harry awoke sitting in his chair surrounded by a worried Masky and a panicking Hoodie who was talking a mile a minute about what Slender and Crawler would gonna do to them if Harry wasn't ok. "Hoodie shut up, Harry's awake." Harry found himself wrapped up in his brother's arms within a second when Masky noticed he was awake. " Hey kiddo are you alright? You gave us a real scare there." Masked spoke in a soft voice that made Harry smile. "Yeah.. I'm ok. It.. It was weird I.. I think I saw Rake before he was the Rake." Harry explained before he whined as he got a sharp headache. "Oww.." He rubbed his head as he finally noticed the Rake was pinned to the wall by numerous knives with black blood dripping down his mutated body. "Is the Rake ok!?" Harry cried loudly with a frightened look of concern for the creature before he rushed out of his seat to try and free him. The vision of the lavender eyed man was shifting in and out of the Rake's place within Harry's vision while the young boy tried to carefully remove the knives from the Rake's body.

Masky and Hoodie had forgotten the Rake. They had freaked out after Harry passed out and outright ended up attacking the Rake to get Harry away from the damned thing.

Harry hadn't really cared too much for the Rake before but now, now he needed to help him! Like some part of Harry was screaming for the Rake to be okay. Harry removed the knives and the Rake slumped down from the wall and into Harry's arms with a low wounded sound that made Harry sigh in relief that the Rake was at least still alive.

* * *

 _A day before Harry's birthday._

It had been a week after the Rake incident and Harry had a hack of a time explaining to everything what exactly happened, or what he was kinda sure happened.

Apparently Harry was a natural type of mutant among humans called a Magical, and their magic made them really adaptive to sigma radiation. The Crawler was oddly happy about the fact Harry was one and it told Harry that was why he had gained one of Slender's abilities. His magic gave him an easy way to protect himself by sensing strong emotions so he could 'see' and avoid them once Harry was trained. Problems came with being a Magical as they soon learned from the Rake. Somehow they made a bond between Harry and the Rake that allowed them to speak without being a fellow proxy or Sigma mutant. Masky and Hoodie were surprised to learn that Harry could see the Rake's true form, hell they were shocked he even had a different form. Crawler and Slender both saw the Rake's true body but they didn't understand how Harry could now.

The main problems for Harry was that the people who came for Harry weeks ago were Magicals, and with some stealing from Slender after the Rake led him to one of the Magical areas, they had learned Harry was famous. An infant hero who at about one years old killed the darkest magical of the age. Masky and Hoodie laughed long and hard when Crawler told them, and Harry that. Masky asked if they were serious and apparently they were. The books however refused to even name the dark magical, instead they called him He Who Should Not Be Named, which everyone felt was stupid.

Harry was shocked about it all, especially the children books all about his life and 'adventures'. It was all bullshit. Harry grew up being abused and someone got to make money off his life as if it was great and not filled with beatings and starvation. Harry was angry at the magical world. No one even came to check on him and it seemed they thought he had been living some amazing childhood being raised with love and care. Harry wasn't sure what he was more mad at, their honest stupidity or their abandonment of their so called Boy Who Lived to a life of abuse.

Harry wasn't the only angry one. Slender had chosen targets to hunt that played major parts in his child's pain. The Magicals' Minister of Magic was to be his first target and then anyone else who he speaks to. Crawler planned to join Slender in his hunts and help break the worthless humans who caused such damage to their child. Masky and Hoodie already knew they needed to protect Harry but now their protectiveness kicked into overdrive as they planned how to help Harry defend himself. Not everyone could be around Harry at all times and as they learned what most magicals were able to do, it just became a better and better idea to work out some ways to teach Harry how to defend himself. The Rake was still an oddity but almost more so now. The Rake was constantly around Harry and it didn't bother Harry at all anymore. While the Rake still hardly spoke when he did it was always solely to Harry. The creature was affectionate to Harry as well, stroking Harry's hair if the green eyed boy grew scared and even hugging Harry if he was angry.

No one not even Harry understood why The Rake started to do that but it didn't bother Harry in any way as he started to do the same things to the Rake in the rare situations the Rake was enraged or overly protective, and boy could he be over protective.

* * *

 _Flashback to a few days prior._

Slender had finally decided to remove the dark soul piece that was in Harry's lightning mark and Harry knew he wanted it gone too after Crawler explained what was so bad about it. Someone put a piece of their own soul inside Harry, a dark soul and that could be doing countless bad things to Harry and his growing powers. So everyone agreed to remove the soul piece from Harry, well everyone who had been there at the time.

Removing souls was dangerous for the person getting their soul removed but having another soul attached to yours being removed was understandably more dangerous.

"It's gonna hurt like hack isn't it?" Harry asked as Slender slid his hand over Harry's forehead. The touch was nice and helped to lesson Harry's fear and nerves. " _Most likely child, just remember to breath and let it happen. Slender is not going to remove you._ " The Crawler said sweetly to their child. Harry nodded and took a deep breath. "Ok.. Do it." Harry hoped it was like pulling off a band aid, painful but quick. Harry was only half right.

Slender's hand tightened over Harry's forehead and Harry felt like he couldn't breath. It felt like something dark and utterly alien was touching his heart. It didn't really hurt so much as make him unable to move or even feel anything but sheer fear. It wasn't a reasonable fear like Harry knew what he was scared of but a deep instinctual fear that made Harry want to push and fight back as much as possible to make the feeling move away from his heart.

Crawler ghosted a touch to Harry's cheek and the touch made Harry start breathing again with a sharp gasp. The feeling was still there but now he could breath and remember it was his dad, his dad trying to help him.

Slender found the disgusting soul latched onto his child's soul and grabbed it painfully tight, squeezing and pulling it until it released Harry's bright soul. Harry started to scream from a pain so strong Harry felt like he was being ripped apart from the inside as the dark soul piece tried to cling to Harry's soul so it'd be ripped out with it. Harry screamed and screamed until his eyes blackened and glowed an acidic green all at the same time. Harry's soul began to fight back against the dark soul, pushing clawing with rage of it's own.

What remained of Voldemort's soul piece was ripped apart and destroyed. Slender pulled his hand back from Harry's head only to be attacked by the Rake with such pure rage that Slender lost several tentacles to the Rake in a try to keep the creature back. Harry had been the only one to bring the Rake out of the fear induced rage and attacks, as all it's fear had been for Harry.

* * *

The Rake hasn't left Harry out of his sight for very long since then acting as Harry's bodyguard. As well since the removal of the dark soul piece Harry's lightning bolt scar faded greatly, looking like a normal old scar rather then one that never healed.

Now with only a day before Harry's 11th birthday and having learned everything he had. Harry was so happy he had been saved by Slender Man. Harry would still being abused and hated for something he hadn't even known was apart of him. When Harry learned he was magical he realized that it was the reason the dursley's hated him. Harry didn't care for their reasons but Harry finally found some pictures of his mum and dad that Slender found as well. Harry was so happy with them. He did look like James Potter but not very much like Lily Potter, he had her eyes though and he was happy for that.

Still Harry had the feeling his birthday tomorrow was gonna be a stressful day for sure, but for once maybe a great day too.


	7. Birthdays And An Crooked Path Part 1

Harry Potter woke up early on his 11th birthday. Sleeping the night before had been rough for him, he'd been tossing and turning most of the night. Harry was looking forward to his first birthday with his new family but he was also frightened of what would happen today. The now 11 year old boy laid in his plush warm bed staring at the ceiling. Harry looked back at the things that happened the last month.

The dursleys had been killed, devoured by his current caretakers. Slender Man and The Crawler. They killed them and everyone else at the campsite but Harry and then took him to their home. It was still surreal how everything had changed. Not only had his relatives had been murdered, and he was being taken care of by their murderers, but he had magic. Harry 'the freak' Potter has magic. It was a shocking realization but then, his life has never been normal. In just one month he had escaped his horrible family and gained a new one. Sure, his new family was all murderers and monsters but they all treated him with love and care. It was absolutely insane, but so nice.

Harry laughed a bit to himself as he stared up at his ceiling made of blackened wood. "I have a family. A real one. I don't need anything else, I already got the best present ever." Harry said to himself quietly, a bright smile on his lips. He was still afraid of something terrible happening but Harry was pushing it to the back of his mind. The Crawler had told him not to worry, that no one would ruin this day or they'd risk losing life and limb, mainly limbs if Crawler had anything to do with it.

Harry eventually sat up and looked around his room once more. Because he was actually living in the room most of the dust was gone as Harry cleaned. His new family had been a bit worried when it came to Harry cooking and cleaning since that was all he did at the dursleys but it was really ok. Harry found it relaxing to cook and clean on his own terms. Harry stood up, wearing the green pajamas that Hoodie had gotten him a few days ago, and went about the room grabbing the clothes he wanted to wear. Harry dressed into his usual outfit, the first one he had gotten when Masky took him shopping with Slender. Harry loved to wear it and he felt like wearing it today.

There were many things on his mind despite his tries to not to worry. Being that today was his 11th birthday that meant he was going to get his Hogwarts letter. How he wasn't sure but the fact he was going to get it at all brought up many questions he needed to decide the answers for. Harry was magical which meant he had powers he needed training for, but he couldn't get them here with his family. Harry had talked it over with Crawler the night before as The Rake had told him that Crawler was the only creature among them that had abilities like a magicals. The Crawler had explained to Harry that while Crawler had his own version of magic, it was nothing like the kind Harry had and that he couldn't train him in his magics until he was far older and even then it would be unlikely to be a safe thing to do. So that left Harry got in a dilemma. Hogwarts was said to be the best school of magic in all of Europe and according to the books Masky had gotten there were a few other schools but none they knew how to contact. Harry was stuck with Hogwarts, which was ran by a man that was supposedly the most powerful wizard of the wizarding world. Harry wasn't sure how to feel about this. He didn't know enough and that left Harry more worried than he wanted to think of right now as he brushed his teeth. He was pretty sure he had more time to think about this, and today is his birthday. The first real birthday he was going to have. That helped to quiet the worried thoughts in his young mind.

Harry left his bathroom after he had taken care of all his business in it, a soft smile on his face and his eyes shining brightly with excitement. The boy walked out of his bedroom and into the dark hallway that didn't frighten him at all anymore. Harry stopped for a moment and felt the blackened wall and breathed deeply. Now it was time to see what his family was doing.

The first thing Harry saw as he walked into the living room was something Harry couldn't have ever expected.

Slender and The Crawler were close, their arms wrapped around one another. There were loud whispers echoing through the room that Harry couldn't make out but he could see that Slender's suit jacket was off and the Crawler's claws were digging into the back of his white shirt. The weirdest thing of it all had to be the fact that Slender's maw was open and.. Almost grinning as Crawler pulled down his red tie to-

Harry's eyes were suddenly covered before he could see anything and he felt himself being dragged away by familiar hands. "Okay! Harry is saved despite almost getting an eyeful of Slendy and Crawler going at it!" Hoodie said while laughing but it was clear he was frightened by how high his pitch had gotten. Hoodie pulled his hands away so Harry could see now.

It was another living room but this one was done up with brighter greys and soft whites. There was more actual lights and even a large TV. Hoodie moved out from behind him and Harry then noticed Masky with his mask atop his head same as Hoodie and The Rake were in sitting on a couch nearby in the center of the room. "Well that's.. Okay." Masky said throwing his hands up in the air for a moment before chuckling and motioning for Harry to come over. "Sorry about that Harry. Slender and Crawler got in a mood while waiting for you to wake up and now the main living room isn't.. Exactly safe for underaged eyes.. Or any eyes really." Masky apologized with a shiver of disgust. Harry looked confused but he moved to sit on the couch before Hoodie came and sat on the other side of him. "What exactly were they doing Masky?" Harry asked curiously. It sorta reminded him of his aunt and uncle during the few moments he ever saw them happy together.

"Oh uhm.. This isn't that easy to explain." Masky began before going quiet for a moment. Harry saw that the Rake was sitting nearby in a big plush dark green chair that looked some what like Slender's grand chair. "No it's really easy Masky. Slendy and the Crawler are.. Mates so to speak. Like in terms of animals I mean, they are a couple, in a relationship, ya know fu-ushng." A wide eyed Masky covered Hoodie's month before he could finish that last word. "Please be quiet now but yes Hoodie is correct they are together." Harry tilted his head, much like the Rake did at the same exact moment. "Oh so.. They're married then. That makes sense, I think." Harry said before shrugging with a soft smile as he got off the couch to squeeze himself into the plush chair with the Rake. The Rake cooed softly at Harry and sat almost normally so that Harry could sit in front of him on the chair. The Rake wrapped his arms around Harry' stomach and rested his chin on the boy's shoulder before he then released a contented breath. The Rake was far taller than Harry and he had almost his whole body wrapped around Harry and to both Hoodie and Masky it did look very creepy but Harry merely smiled and rested his hands over the Rake's clawed ones. "The Crawler is my mama for sure then, that's cool.. But if they are busy who's gonna make breakfast?" When Harry asked that, Hoodie jumped up from the couch with a bright grin.

Hoodie went over to a nearby table that had a large brown paper bag on it. "Oh I got that covered just after Slendy and Crawler started going at it. Milk and several different cereals! Just come and get your favorite, I got bowls and spoons too!" Hoodie said cheerfully as he pulled out everything from the bag. Harry carefully pried himself out from the Rake's grip and went to get some breakfast for them both. Harry hadn't ever gotten fresh cereal, if he was lucky he'd get dudley's leftovers from the box but now he got to pick whatever he wanted. Masky and Hoodie had been worried that it wasn't gonna be good enough for Harry, because it wasn't exactly the best birthday breakfast ever but Harry seemed perfectly happy with it either way.

The birthday boy ended up getting two bowls filled with various types of cereal while he grinned and giggled with far more excitement than any kid should probably have towards cereal. Harry returned to the Rake who was now sitting on the floor. He handed the Rake a bowl with a spoon in it before sitting in the plush chair. His legs folded so his lap could be a small table. Harry was still giggling, far too happy with his cereal, as he took his first bite. Harry gave a loud sound of happiness at his first spoonful before he nearly burst into laughter at how the Rake decided to eat the cereal. The Rake had decided, quite simply, to put his whole face into the bowl and just go at it all like that. He had even put the spoon away to do it. Hoodie and Masky burst right into laughter at the Rake, both nearly spilling their own bowls in the process before they calmed down enough to return to eating.

After everyone calmed down from the Rake's unique manner of eating, everyone ate quietly and happily. Harry was happy and getting a sugar high very quickly so it didn't take him long to finish his breakfast. "What can we do? I really wanna run around." Harry said as he bounced a bit in his chair, clearly high off of the sugar. Masky and Hoodie looked at each other. "Maybe it wasn't your best idea to feed an 11 year old sugary cereals." Masky calmly said to Hoodie "Nope! Not at all but kiddo I'll go ask Slender if we can go roam the woods. That'll be a good way to run down that energy of yours!" Hoodie said to Masky and then continued to Harry as he stood up.

Hoodie walked out of the secondary living room as the Rake took to distracting the currently sugar high bound Harry by teaching him simple hand signs.

Hoodie carefully snuck into the main living room to thankfully find an empty room. "Okay good they didn't decide to fuck out here." Hoodie mumbled to himself with a sigh before he turned and walked into the blackened hallways. He headed for Slender's bedroom and prayed he wouldn't be interrupting them during anything graphic.. Again at least. Hoodie found Slender's pale white door and knocked a few times before waiting patiently in front of it. It didn't take long for someone to answer the door, and that someone turned out to be a half nude Slender. His large maw was still open and his gray tongue was hanging out as he panted silently. His white shirt and red tie were missing revealing a slender muscular torso but his pants were still on to Hoodie's relief. "Uh, sorry to interrupt anything Boss but Harry wants to play outside and.. Yeah." Hoodie told him as he waved his hands around nervously. Hissing whispers responded to Hoodie and the Proxy nodded before he quickly turned and walked away while Slender shut the door. "Thank god that's not a common thing." Hoodie whispered to himself at the thought of what Slender was doing with/do Crawler.

Hoodie went back to the group and grinned. "Okay we've got permission to go!"

It took a bit to get everyone set up, which was enough time for Harry to calm down from the sugar high with the Rake's help in distracting him. Masky and Hoodie got a couple backpacks and set up one for Harry that was filled with makeshift outdoor toys. They hadn't planned to give the second one, which was filled with snacks to hold onto till lunch, to the Rake but he had stared at Hoodie and Masky until they gave it to him. Harry had helped the Rake wear the red backpack while Harry wore the green one on his own back. While Harry had done that, Hoodie and Masky set themselves up.

They both knew the woods weren't totally safe but Slender kept out all the more unfriendly creatures of the area but they both preferred to be safe rather than sorry. Masky had several knives hidden in his own hoodie and sleeves, he preferred knives over most other weapons. Hoodie did the same as Masky but with hand axes instead.

In every pair of proxies, there was a Hunter and a Guardian. One that choose and haunted the next target and began the mental torment, and one that aided and protected the Hunter with their very life. Their very reason of existence was to help Slender Man in his own hunts, extensions of his own being but one proxy couldn't survive alone. A lone proxy would die, without fail given time, but with two neither would die.

In Masky and Hoodie's case this was clear to be true. Masky was the Hunter and Hoodie the Guardian. Together they had lived, but alone they would die.

When everyone was packed up for a time out, Masky double checked everything before nodding. "Ok we're all set. Let's go." Masky said with a bright smile before he pulled his mask down. Hoodie did the same and Harry became curious but he didn't bother to ask. They couldn't show their real faces outside the house. That make sense to him somehow.

Harry left the house first and was shocked. The forest was dark and shaded with how thick the forest was. It made it seem so dark and sinister but so nice as well. It felt very much like the house to Harry. Safe and comfortable. Everything was alive and Harry could hear birds nearby and the wing rushing throughout the trees. "This is awesome." Harry mumbled as he slowly grinned. "Yeah I guess it is." Hoodie agreed with a soft chuckle. "I forgot this was the first time you stepped outside the house. Slendy does so love his instant travel, however he does it." Masty said kindly as he stretched a bit, glad to not be in the house anymore. Harry walked forward and looked around as he did with a sense of wonder clear in his green eyes.

The Rake watched him silently, his never blinking black eyes so focused on Harry. The Rake soon moved to follow Harry as Masky led him around the woods, mentioning some lake nearby but the Rake heard very little about it. The Creature more focused on simply watching Harry. The boy looked so much like his partner. He had the same black hair and the same green eyes. The boy even acted a bit like him but so much younger. The Rake could not remember when he had met his partner or what he had even been then but Harry reminded him so much of his partner. Harry could see through the claws and the unblinking black eyes, he could see what his partner saw.. But what did that even mean? The Rake wished his partner was still alive, he would have the answers.

It didn't take them long to find the lake and its waters were a dark blue. Harry rushed up to the lake's shore and looked around with wonder filled eyes before he knelt down at the edge to dip his hand into the water while Hoodie and Masky caught up. "The water's so cold!" Harry grinned and looked at the Rake who was right next to him. A mischievous look came to Harry's green eyes before he scooped some water into his hands and tried to throw the cold water at the Rake. It failed though as the Rake somehow dunked under the water and slid up close to Harry with unnatural ease, but did leave Harry a good deal disturbed as the Rake's real from flickered into reality for Harry. The Rake's leavener colored eyes were bright but his grin was wide and haunted for some reason, and that startled Harry slightly. "Okay, you win that fight." Harry mumbled before backing away with a faint blush. "Oh really!" Hoodie laughed as he dumped a bucket of water onto the Rake. "He's won nothing!" Hoodie gave a mock evil laugh as he stood quite proud of what he'd done.

"Hoodie you just ruined our lunch, I really hope you know that." Masky groaned with a hand covering his mask. "What? No I didn't.." Hoodie looked back at a very wet Rake, who's backpack was also soaked through as well. "Well shit." Hoodie muttered before Harry smiled. "Well what's done is done but we can still explore and have fun." Harry said cheerfully as he stood up and walked over to the Rake. Harry used the sleeve of his hoodie to dry off the Rake's face. "There that has to help a bit." The Rake grabbed Harry's hand and then nuzzled it, making Harry smile a bit sadly. "I'll get you a hoodie next time, you should have one so you don't get cold." Harry said as he gently pet the Rake's head. "No offence but wouldn't a pair of pants be better?" Hoodie asked, tilting his head as he looked at the Rake and Harry.

Harry shrugged and turned around to face the lake. He frowned as he leaned forward to get a better look across the dark lake. "Uhm, Masky, Hoodie, are there supposed to be any dogs out here?" The proxy pair looked at Harry "What? Dogs? No the only animals this far out are birds and some dear. Possibly a bear or two." Masky answered as he walked to stand next to Harry. "Then why is there a dog swimming towards us?" Harry asked as he pointed out the dog steadily getting closer and closer to them in the water.

"It looks like some kind of Rottweiler but there aren't any humans within a hundred miles of this place." Masky said softly with an air of confusion while Hoodie just shrugged but silently readied one of his hand axes in the sleeve of his hood. The dog soon made it to shore, panting and wet, and it walked straight to Harry before sitting down. Harry looked around at Hoodie and Masky, and then down to the Rake. Each of them had a guarded expression but Harry looked back at the dog.

"He doesn't look mean." Harry sat before he slowly reached out his hand. The dog didn't react and Harry managed to pet its head lightly before he smiled. "You're a good dog, aren't ya." Harry said with a soft smile.

It had certainly seemed that way but that all changed in a short moment.

Harry pulled his hand back and smiled at the Rake before sounds of what sickeningly sounded like bones breaking began. Harry looked back at the dog with alarm and fear in his eyes. The dog was changing right before his eyes, growing bigger and bigger before the dog became something else entirely. A ridiculously tall creature stood in the dog's place, it wore a red pinstripe suit and its limbs were all crooked before its arms shot out. It's long spindly hands opened palm first. An unseen force sent Masky and Hoodie flying back. The force had nearly sent the Rake away but he had dug his claws deep into the ground to stay put.

The Crooked Man looked down at Harry, it's skin a greenish gray with a wide grin filled with sharp teeth. Its eyes were black and beady with a rim of black glasses on the brim of its red bowler hat. The creature wasn't that frightening to Harry but the fact it had just attacked his family had him frozen in fear.

" _ **The Crooked Man has walked his crooked path, through spinning waves and dark skies, through murderous lights and cunning blacks, to find you, Harry Potter**_." The Crooked man spoke, the same disturbing grin on his face. It reached down to grab Harry by his chin but the man never had the chance.

A loud animalistic growl left the Rake before he unhooked his claws from the ground and stood up, a snarl on his face. The Rake then attacked the Crooked Man with full force, sending them both into the lake.


End file.
